Web Desk
An Indian projectile entered the Pakistani airspace and caused some damage to surrounding areas after it fell near Mian Channu in Khanewal district of Punjab province, Major General Babar Iftikhar , Director General Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) told a news conference in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
He said that Pakistan has asked India for an explanation regarding the incident, adding that “Pakistan strongly condemned the incident.”
“At 6:43pm [on Thursday], a high-speed flying object was picked up inside the Indian territory by the Air Defence Operation Centre of the Pakistan Airforce,” he said.
“From its initial course, the object suddenly manoeuvred towards the Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan’s airspace [before] ultimately falling near Mian Channu at 6:50pm.”
He said that when the projectile fell, it damaged some civilian property.
“Thankfully, no loss or injury to human life was caused,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) continuously monitored the complete flight path of the flying object from its point of origin near Sirsa in India till its point of impact near Mian Channu.
Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the PAF initiated requisite tactical actions in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and that the flight path of the object endangered many international and domestic passenger flights both in Indian and Pakistani airspace as well as human life and property on the ground.
“What caused this incident to happen is for the Indians to explain,” he said. “It nevertheless shows their disregard for aviation safety and reflects very poorly on their technological prowess and procedural efficiency.”
Maj Gen Iftikhar said that the incident could have resulted in a major aviation disaster as well as civilian casualties on the ground.
“Pakistan strongly protests this flagrant violation and cautions against the recurrence of any such incident in the future,” he asserted.
He said that an inquiry into the matter has been launched and forensics are being carried out but confirmed that the supersonic flying object was “most probably a missile,” but it was “certainly unarmed.”
“Whatever has caused this, we will wait for an explanation from the Indian side,” he reiterated, adding that the Pakistani armed forces are fully prepared to deal with all such scenarios.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s foreign office registered strong protest over unprovoked violation of its airspace by a ‘super-sonic flying object’ of Indian origin by summoning the Charge d’Affaires of Indian embassy on Thursday and conveyed strong protest over the unprovoked violation of its airspace by an Indian origin ‘super-sonic flying object.
The Indian diplomat was conveyed that the imprudent launch of the flying object not only caused damage to civilian property but also put at risk human lives on ground. Besides, the flight path of the flying object endangered several domestic/international flights within Pakistani airspace and could have resulted in a serious aviation accident as well as civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, India has regretted that a missile “accidentally” entered Pakistan and fell in Khanewal district’s Mian Channu area on Wednesday, calling it a result a “technical malfunction”, according to Indian media reports.
“On March 9, 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile,” Indian Defence Ministry said in a statement. “It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan.”
“The government has taken serious view and ordered a high-level court of enquiry,” the statement added.
The ministry said while the incident was “deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident”.
